Darwin's festival season has kicked off, making May the best month to visit
Darwin is always a great choice for an Aussie holiday, but May is, without a doubt, the best time to visit the city.
Not only is the weather pleasant and warm while the rest of the country starts getting chilly, but the month is also packed with events.
So if you're considering a last-minute holiday this month, cast your sights to the north.
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Darwin comes alive in May. Supplied
Things to do in Darwin in May
Camping
May kicks off the dry season in the Top End, meaning it's the perfect time to explore the Territory. Use Darwin as your base and head out on a camping trip to enjoy the weather - Litchfield National Park is just a few hours away.
Jam out at a music festival
BASSINTHEGRASS, set on the iconic Mindil Beach, is set to have another ripper year. Hilltop Hoods, Meg Mac, and The Dreggs are included in the lineup for 2025.
BASSINTHEGRASS is an incredible beachside music festival. Supplied
Catch a movie under the stars
Darwin's Deckchair Cinema is a beloved open-air cinema on the harbour. Open every night from April to November, you can pack a picnic, grab a drink from the bar, and settle in for a film in the balmy night air.
Admire street art
Darwin has an incredible street art scene. There are over 100 murals across the city (which isn't that big!), with 20 new ones to be added this year at the Darwin Street Art Festival. Each year, for three weeks in May, artists from around the city - and around the globe – descend on Darwin to leave their mark on the walls in the form of an eye-catching mural.
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Darwin has a vibrant street art scene. Facebook
Slurp up some laksa
Laksa is the unofficial dish of Darwin - you can't visit without trying at least one bowl. Head to the Parap markets on a Saturday morning and you'll see locals lining up with their reusable laksa containers ready to get their fill.
If you're more keen on pasta than laksa, the Darwin Italian Festival is held each May, or the Taste of Kakadu celebrates traditional and contemporary Indigenous foods over three days at the end of the month.
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List of events in Darwin in May
- May 3: Tones & I Live - kicks off the dry season at sunset at the Darwin Ski Club (May long weekend is also the start of camping season!)
- May 10–11: Darwin Italian Festival is a biennial event that has been feeding Darwin's hungry mouths since 2013, and is now at the bustling Waterfront precinct
- May 10–12: Nightcliff Seabreeze Festival, 20 years strong, this iconic community festival features music, art, and performances on the Nightcliff foreshore
- May 13, 14: Banff Mountain Film Festival is always a sellout at the iconic open-air Deckchair Cinema
- May 17: BASSINTHEGRASS – one of the only music festivals that emerged in the early 2000s that is still left standing (Falls, Splendour, Future Music Festival, Groovin the Moo, Soundwave etc.) set under the palm trees on the iconic Mindil Beach.
- May 23 - 25: TASTE OF KAKADU – a food and culture celebration 65,000 years in the making
- May 24: Top End Gin Fest, Australia's most fun gin festival, now in its 4th year, headlined by The Temper Trap
- May 24: Darwin Street Art Festival – Australia's most awarded Street Art Festival, an annual 3-week festival in its 9th year, which includes a projection series for the first time this year
- May 24: Yes, the Noonamah Rodeo is back in town too
- May 30, 31:The FIRST ever Live Fire BBQ Festival, Pitmasters of the NT, on the final weekend - the NT's biggest community BBQ
